Set A Course For Freedom
by Butterfly Hippie
Summary: Heather, a woman with cerebral palsy comes to DS9 after serving on a starship of all disabled crew. When the crew of DS9 recieves a distress signal from a badly damaged ship, how will Heather react when she sees its her old ship and crew?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Kira Nerys stood on the Promanade, squinting at her commanding officer, Benjamin Sisko. He had called the entire crew of DS9 here for a meeting. They had only been told that it concerned a new officer coming onto the station.

Captain Sisko cleared his throat, aware of all the eyes on him. He took a deep breath. He wasn't exactly sure how the crew would react to this.

"Thank you all for being here today", he began. "Tomorrow, there will be a new officer coming onto the station. Her name is Lt. Heather Martinez….The only reason why I called this whole meeting is that she has some….well, _problems_. You'll understand when you meet her. But just, please, treat her with kindness and respect, just like you would treat any other officer. Thanks again". The meeting left one question lingering in everyone's mind: _What sort of problems did this new officer have?_

After the meeting, Kira met up with her friend Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax. "So what kind of problems do you think this Heather Martinez has?" Jadzia shrugged. "I don't know. Rumor has it that only Captain Sisko and Dr. Bishir know what kind of problems she has."

Kira pondered this as she walked back to her quarters. _If Dr. Bisir knows,_ she thought, _then it must be some kind of medical problem…but what?_ Oh well. She would find out soon enough.

The next day, Kira and Dax, along with Odo and Captain Sisko, met the new officer in the transporter room.. As she materialized, the image of her became clear, and also what was her "problem".

She was a young woman, maybe around twenty-five. She had brown hair with blond highlights, and pretty hazel eyes. But it was clear what her "problem" was. Her knees were bent at almost a 90 degree angle, and she leaned on a slim blue forearm crutch. She wore a wary smile, as if she wasn't sure how these people would react to her.

_Of course_, Kira found herself thinking. _A physical disability…how could I have been so stupid?_ Captain Sisko took Heather by the hand and helped her off the platform. He gave her a warm, sincere smile.

"You must be Heather. I'm Captain Sisko. This is Security Chief Odo, Major Kira, and Lt. Commander Dax." Heather shook each of their hands. "Pleased to meet you." She said in a soft voice. Then Captain Sisko led her off to sickbay for the usual medical checkup that newcomers to the station got. The rest of the team looked at each other in confusion, and a little embarrassment. But none of them quite knew exactly how to react to the newcomer that was Lt. Heather Martinez.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So…Heather. I hear that before you came to DS9, you worked on a starship of all-disabled crew called the U.S.S Ability. That must have been interesting." Captain Sisko said later that day, as Dr. Bashir ran his tricorder over Heather. Heather smiled and got a faraway look in her eyes.

"It was so cool. I mean, no explaining, no staring, no gawking, no nothing! It was just like…having a disability was normal. And on the _Ability_, it was." It was then that Captain Sisko realized just how much Heather must have been through.

Dr. Bashir set his tricorder down. "Well, other than the C.P of course, you're in perfect health." Heather shot him a Look. She didn't want to get in trouble on her first day on DS9, but she _hated_ it when people stated the obvious like that. Dr. Bashir softened a bit. He knew how tough things must be for her. "Anyway, you're free to go."

Heather wandered around the station the rest of the afternoon. Finally, exhausted, she went to Quark's for a drink, where she met up with Major Kira.

"Hey Heather." Heather smiled. "Hey…Kira, was it?" Kira nodded. "You look exhausted." Heather nodded tiredly.

"Yeah. Walking tires me out a lot, and I've been walking all around DS9 all afternoon." Kira nodded thoughtfully. "I'm surprised that cerebral palsy is one of the few disabilities they haven't cured yet…" she confided. "They came so close in the 21st century with stem cell research…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head.

There was a moment of silence. Then, "Would you accept a cure if they had one?"

Heather shook her head vehemently. She had given a lot of thought to this. Ignoring Kira's surprised, and slightly shocked, look, she plowed ahead. "Cerebral palsy affects all that I do, all that I say. It affects my thoughts, my views, even my personality. Having CP influences my personality way too much. If I 'cured' it, it would be like taking away part of my personality.

Kira shook her head slowly. "Wow….I never thought of it that way." Heather smiled a thin smile. "Well, try spending a day in my shoes." Then she pushed her chair back, and slipped her hand in her crutch. Kira watched in wonder as Heather's small figure disappeared through the bar doors. One conversation, one woman, had just given her a whole new outlook on life.

A/N: Well, it's the weekend, and I finally have time to update! Whoopee! Anyway for anyone that's been reading my Full House fanfic, I've got a bad case of writer's block; any ideas? OK so anyway Heather's point of view on a cure is exactly the same as mine. If you haven't read my Full House story, or if you haven't guessed by now, the character of Heather is based on myself. I have mild cerebral palsy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Anyway like I said, I have the same view on a cure that Heather does: I don't want one. CP influences my personality too much to give it up. Anyway, as I leave you with those inspiring words, I'd like to say this: KEEP REVIEWING! ALL MY STORIES: KEEP REVIEWING! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Heather trudged through the corridors, ignoring the open-mouthed stares of the crew. She didn't have to look at them to know they were there. As she passed the O'Brian's quarters, she heard the tiny voice of Molly O'Brian.

"Daddy," she started. "Did that lady break her leg?" Her father turned bright red, shook his head, and herded his daughter back into their quarters.

Heather shook her head in disgust and winced. She had the most horrible headache, though she couldn't imagine why. She thought it must be from learning her way around the station and meeting more and more new people each day. She had been on DS9 for over a month now. The station was starting to feel like home.

She grew more and more tired and her headache grew worse as she made her way to her quarters. Once there, she collapsed on the bed, leaving her crutch to clatter on the floor. She fell asleep almost immediately.

The persistent ringing of her door chime woke her up. She moaned and rolled over. She didn't feel like getting up and answering the door.

There was a click and then the door slid open. Whoever was at the door had apparently overridden the lock. Soon the familiar faces of Kira and Dax, her two best friends on the station, appeared at her bedside.

"You okay?" Kira asked in concern. "You were supposed to be on bridge duty ten minutes ago." Heather waved her hand vaguely.

"Oh, I'm okay. Just not feeling that well today." Dax placed her hand on Heather's forehead, brushing away loose strands of hair.

"Heather, you have a fever. You really should go up to sickbay." Heather sighed. She hated going to doctors, but it seemed her friends were not to be deterred. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up. She nearly collapsed on the floor. Kira put her arm around Heather to steady her, while Dax hit her com badge.

"Dax to bridge. Lt. Martinez isn't feeling well, so Kira and I will be escorting her to sickbay." Back on the bridge, Captain Sisko frowned. He hoped his new officer wasn't that sick. "Go right ahead." He said. Dax also put her arm around Heather to steady her even more, and the three of them slowly made their way to sickbay.

"It's just the common flu." Dr. Bishir said, running a tricorder over Heather, while Kira, Dax, and Captain Sisko all stood by, anxiously awaiting the news.

"But because of her disability," he continued. "It's worse then it would be in someone without a disability. It will also take her longer to get over it. Because all the muscles in her body are affected by the CP, she is more susceptible to diseases then most people. " Captain Sisko frowned deeply. If Heather was more susceptible to diseases, she got them worse then most people, and it took her longer to get over them, was she really fit for duty? He was definitely having second thoughts about having Lt. Heather Martinez as an officer on his station.

A/N: Yay! I've finally updated! Yes, it's true, people with CP _do_ tend to be more susceptible to diseases, and they _do_ take longer to get over them, and they _do_ get them worse then most people. For me, a cold can last three weeks, sometimes even a month. Anyway, like I've said in my A/N in my other story, Ghost Contradiction, I have MAJOR writer's block for my Full House story. If you have ANY ideas PLEASE tell me. I'm stuck with that story. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Heather was feeling a bit better, though not entirely. As Dr. Bishir predicted, it was taking her longer than most people to get over it. But then again, she was used to that. Dr. Bishir had helped her fix up a screen link to the bridge, so she could see what was going on at all times and would not be out of the loop when she was taken off sick leave.

About a week after Heather first got the flu, an unexpected event occurred that would change her life profoundly.

"Captain…I'm receiving a distress signal from a Starfleet vessel. Apparently it's being attacked by a Cardassian ship…" Kira's voice trailed off as she studied the console in front of her. Captain Sisko frowned. "Put the ship on screen."

Heather, who had been watching from her screen in sickbay, adjusted her screen so it would show the main viewscreen. What she saw jolted her in surprise, and slightly fear.

It was a medium-size ship, with the usual look of a Starfleet ship. But what made Heathers' eyes open wide in disbelief were the words and the symbol engraved on the ship's underbelly. There was a handicapped sign, then the word _Ability_.

"Oh my god." She whispered. (A/N: If this was a real episode, they would break for a commercial at this point.)

Heather immediately hit her com badge. "Martinez to the bridge."

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Captain…_I know that ship_. That's my old ship, that's the starship _Ability_!" The captain made his decision.

"Lock phasers on to the Cardassian ship. Fire when ready." The blast hit the Cardassian ship head-on, and the Cardassians became distracted. They stopped firing on the _Ability_.

Kira checked her console. "The _Ability_ is badly damaged There are nine dead, out of the hundred person crew. More are wounded."

"Beam the survivors directly to sickbay!" Sisko ordered. Heather, who had been following this, watched as her old crew materialized in front of her. She stifled the urge to cry out. Many of them were badly wounded. Blood was rapidly puddling the sickbay floor, whose blood it was, she couldn't tell. But she felt a jolt of fear and realized that she was scared for her former crewmates.

"They're not just my former crewmates," Heather explained to Kira and Dax later that day. Dr. Bishir, who had enough to deal with, had suggested she go for a drink at Quark's, as long as she was back within a few hours.

"They're my _friends_. My best friends. See, when the crew of the _Ability_ was formed, Starfleet had to choose carefully. They wanted a starship of all-disabled crew, yet they needed to make sure the crew was strong enough to withstand basically anything they encountered. They picked my best friend since my teens, Kathleen Marrari, to be the Captain, and they asked her if she knew any other disabled people who might be interested on serving on the _Ability_. She said yes, and so assembled a crew of me, her, and some of our friends who were, of course, disabled. Most of the crew I've known since childhood. That's why I got so upset when I saw them so…helpless, so…injured."

Kira and Dax nodded thoughtfully. "I uploaded their database (which included their transmissions) into our ship's computer." Dax told them. "Apparently they were just…exploring, when the Cardassian ship offered to take them to a moon he knew of where 'people like them' they said, were 'taken care of'." She made quotes in the air with her fingers. "When the crew of the _Ability_ refused, the Cardassians got upset and started firing at them."

Heather smiled thinly. "They always were fighters." She said. "I was so glad I knew most of them since childhood. Especially Kathleen. I usually knew every move she was going to make before she made it. I was her first officer."

Heather's com badge sounded. "Bishir to Martinez."

"Go ahead."

"The captain of the _Ability_, Captain Mararri, is severely injured. She may not survive." Heather's face looked extremely worried, and she looked like she was fighting not to cry. "On my way."

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Captain Mararri is based on _my_ best friend in the world, Kathleen Downes. You'll find out more about Capt. Mararri in the next chapter. I left you at a cliffhanger, didn't I? Will the captain of the _Ability_ survive? You'll have to wait and see!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Heather thought later that she must've broken a speed record getting to sickbay that day. She skidded into sickbay and slid to a halt before she lost her balance. But looking around quieted the nervous frenzy that was growing in the pit of her stomach. Instead, the frenzy was replaced by a rock. A cold, hard, dark, rock.

There, on the biobeds around her, were all the people who understood her, who loved her for who she was…who loved her. She couldn't bear the thought of losing at least one of them. But she knew she might lose Kathleen.

Heather plopped onto the empty biobed next to her best friend's bed. Kathleen's face was shining with sweat, and her breathing was shallow. Her beautiful blond hair was matted with blood. The power wheelchair that she used to get around stood, empty and desolate, next to the bed.

Heather kissed the top of her best friend's head. "Hey, Kat." She whispered, using her childhood nickname for Kathleen. Kathleen's eyelids fluttered, and she smiled weakly. "Hey, Heather." Heather was so happy to see Kathleen still determinedly clinging onto life that she hugged her gently. "I'm gonna go around and see some of the old gang, OK? I'll be right back."

The next biobed over was Commander Tucker Solara, her very first boyfriend. He had given her her first kiss when she was thirteen. He had cerebral palsy too, though more severe than hers, and even a little more severe than Kathleen's. He had minor injuries, but was being kept in sickbay for observation.

His large brown eyes that peeked out of his twisted face looked worried, He cared about Kathleen, and all their childhood friends, as much as he did about Heather. For the first few minutes the childhood couple stared at each other in desperation and desolation. Then finally, softly, he said. "I don't want to lose her." Heather blinked back tears. "Neither do I." she said, almost too softly to be audible. She was afraid if she spoke any louder, than she would cry.

The next bed she approached was Ensign Bridget McLane. Heather had known Bridget since she was five, when they were in the same handicapped dance class together. Bridget couldn't use one side of her body, but Heather thought that that just made her stronger, both physically and emotionally. However, now Bridget was crying softly, whether from her own, physical pain, or from the pain at possibly losing Kathleen, Heather couldn't tell.

She recalled, with a pang of reminiscence, the old days, the days when they were kids, her, Kathleen, Bridget, and her other childhood friend, Maureen. They were on the same baseball team together, and the coaches called them the Giggle Girls. They were like sisters back then…and they still were.

"It's gonna be OK." Heather whispered in Bridget's ear. _I hope_, she added silently to herself.

The last friend she visited was the other member of the Giggle Girls: Lt. Maureen Lamore. The forearm crutches she used lay on a heap on the floor, as if they had been thrown there haphazardly in the midst of an emergency, which, Heather thought grimly, they probably were.

Maureen was very quiet, and Heather knew from experience she was thinking. In childhood, Maureen's catch phrase was always "I'm going to go…think." Finally, Maureen looked seriously into Heather's eyes. "Remember, Heather." She said quietly. "Remember to breathe." Whenever one of the Giggle Girls had laughed or cried really hard, Maureen would always remind them to breathe. Now she was reminding her best friend of that when she knew Heather needed it the most.

Heather returned to Kathleen's bedside, feeling the heaviness in the room. She knew, they all knew in their hearts that Kathleen wasn't going to make it. Heather just hoped her feeling in her heart was wrong.

Then Heather took both of Kat's spastic hands in hers.

"Kat, I want you to promise me you'll never leave me, that we'll grow old together, in our rocking chairs…just like we used to fantasize about when we were kids. Promise me! _Promise me!_" then, more softly. "…I need you." She started shaking and tears started rolling down her face. Kathleen reached up with one crooked and disfigured hand to wipe her childhood friend's tears away.

"I will always be with you…in spirit." She whispered with the last of her strength. The eyelids of those beautiful blue eyes slowly closed…like the lid of a casket. The various machines hooked up to Kat's body started to whine. Dr. Bishir rushed over and leaned over the bed. Then he straightened up and shook his head slowly.

"Lieutenant…I am so sorry." Heather started shaking a little harder. It was true. Her nightmare had come true. Her best friend in the world…the bravest and strongest person she ever knew…was dead.

Heather didn't know whether to scream or to cry at first. Finally she let out a low, shuddering sob. She felt an arm around her shoulders, and realized that Maureen, who was the only one of her close friends able to get up on her own, had come over to comfort her. There was a thunk that went unnoticed, as Maureen lowered herself onto the bed and let her crutches fall to the floor.

Heather was crying too hard to speak. "Curse you, Cardassians!" she managed to choke out. "You killed my best friend!" A few beds over, Tucker looked over at his friends, and turned his head angrily to stare into the abyss. "You…will…pay." He said, in a low, thunderous, voice.

A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter! All the crew members of the _Ability_ mentioned are based on real people in my life (and yes, the Giggle Girls is based on me and three of my friends, Kathleen, Maureen, and Bridget!) lol. Anyway, that had a lot of sorrow in it…I'm not _exactly_ sure what I'm going to do for the next chapter so it may be awhile before I update again. Maybe it'll be Kathleen's funeral…anyway hope you all liked the chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kathleen's funeral was the next day. Heather forced herself to go, although she didn't relish being reminded of the fact that her best friend since the days of boyfriends and zits was dead.

After the funeral, Heather walked back to her quarters. Dax and Kira tried to comfort her, but nothing could comfort her. Her best friend was dead. Heather turned to plop on her bed, but was stopped by a large box in front of her bed. Dropping to her knees, Heather examined the box.

It was from Kathleen's parents, who had been like a second of set of parents to Heather when she was a kid. Ripping open the box, Heather discovered a letter lying on top. She picked it up and started to read. It said:

_Dear ¾ of the Giggle Girls_

_We know Kathleen's not going to make it. A mother and a father know these things. We remember the times when the 4 of you were inseparable, and you went through heartache and fun with each other. So we've collected all those photos and videos of the four of you together. Remember, especially you, Heather. Remember those good times._

_Love,_

_Samantha and Chris Marrari_

Heather reached down and pulled out the first ancient videotape. It was labeled simply "Baseball." Heather grinned, and popped it in.

There they were, the four of them. They were out in the field, though it looked like everyone was switching sides. John, their coach, looked over at them.

"Hey Giggle Girls!" he shouted. "Get your butts over here! It's time for you to bat." The four girls, giggling as usual, made their way over to the batting line.

It was first young Heather's turn to bat. Because of very poor hand-eye coordination, Heather missed at least two balls before she finally hit one. It didn't go very far, but young Heather was a fast runner. The older Heather stared at the screen as her younger self stole second, third and home plate. God, she'd forgotten how fast she could run the bases when she was thirteen.

The young Heather high-fived with her friends then clambered up on Kathleen's lap. _I used to do that a lot_, the older Heather remembered, _when I'd get tired, I'd climb up on Kathleen's lap._ Next it was Bridget's turn. Both the younger and older Heather watched admiringly as Bridget whacked the ball easily and it flew into the next field. Bridget did a victory lap around the bases, and then apparently said something that made them all laugh.

The older Heather watched through the rest of the tape, then pulled out another tape labeled "Camp SFAH". That was the camp for physically challenged kids her and friends had gone to for nearly eight years. It was where she had met Tucker and gotten her first kiss from him...A lot had happened at Camp SFAH.

She popped the tape in and watched as none other than her thirteen year old self appeared on screen. Her younger self was sitting on a bench. It was apparently Visitors Day, since Heather saw both her parents and Kathleen's parents in the background. Kathleen presented a gift to Heather..._for my birthday_, Heather remembered. The younger Heather ripped open the present and found one of her favorite books inside. As her younger self squealed with joy, the older Heather's eyes began to cloud with tears. _We used to have so much fun together_, she thought..._now all I have are the memories. Kathleen's gone. Really and truly gone._ The door buzzer beeped, and Heather looked up. "Come in."

The doors slid open and there stood Maureen, balancing on her crutches. She looked from the screen, to Heather, and back to the screen, and she fought back tears herself. She sat down on the bed.

"Oh, Heather. What are we going to do?" Maureen asked, starting to cry. Heather shook her head helplessly, the tears cascading down her face. But a seed of an idea was starting to grow in her head.

"Moe." she said, using her childhood nickname for Maureen. "I'm going to find them. I'm going to go find those Cardassians that took our Kat away from us. And when I find them, I'm going to get revenge."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Heather explained her plan to Captain Sisko later that night. Although he didn't exactly approve of her getting revenge, he knew that nothing was going to stop his new lieutenant.

Heather packed her bag, and prepared to leave. Just then, her door chime sounded.

"Come in." The rhythmic sound of Maureen's crutches sounded on the floor, and a minute later, Maureen herself came into view.

"Hey, Heath." she said softly, using Heather's childhood nickname. "I hear you're leaving." Heather nodded, she wasn't sure she could speak without crying.

"Want me to come with you? I think you could use an extra hand." Heather considered this kind offer. She _could _use an extra hand, and it would be nice to have someone with her who knew her as well as she knew herself. Plus, like the old saying, two heads were better than one.

"Sure." she said, smiling in spite of herself. Then another idea came to her. "Maybe Bridget and Tucker can come too. I think that would be nice. After all, this _is_ a mission for Kathleen-or, rather, her memory. The four of us were her closest friends. It wouldn't be right for some to go, and not others." Maureen grinned.

"All right!" she cheered. "It'll be just like old times..." Then Maureen fell silent as she realized what she just said. She looked over at Heather, who now had a cascade of tears flowing down her face.

"No." Heather shook her head. "No, it won't be like old times. Because Kathleen won't be there..." She couldn't go on. Maureen put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, hey, Heath, it's ok, think of something funny. Think of how we're going to fit Tucker's wheelchair inside the shuttle craft." Although Heather tried to stop it, a smile soon spread across her face and she started to laugh.

"Oh, man." she said, half laughing, half crying. "That's gonna be, like, a comedy act!" Maureen tapped her on the shoulder, and held out a fistful of tissues. That only made Heather laugh harder.

"Maureen, the speedy tissue deliverer!" she giggled. It was an old joke from their camp days. Maureen tugged gently on her best friend's shirt sleeve.

"Come _on_!" she urged. "Let's go tell Bridget and Tucker that they're coming on the mission!"

Later that day, Heather watched in the launch bay as Tucker got on the shuttle craft. Chief O'Brian had rigged up a mechanical lift of sorts to lift Tucker in his wheelchair onto the shuttle, and it actually seemed to be working quite well.

Heather climbed onto the shuttle and looked around. It looked like a normal shuttle, with a few changes. Tucker and his cumbersome wheelchair took up most of the back of the shuttle, so there was little space for the three girls. Attached to one wall was a shallow cabinet, like the old medicine cabinets in Earth bathrooms. And that's exactly what it was. Dr. Bashir had medically cleared all four of them to go on the mission, but there were many daily medications that this ragged shuttle crew needed, especially Heather, who was still getting over her bout of flu.

Heather slid into the pilot's seat and watched as Kira hoisted Maureen up into the shuttle. Maureen couldn't manage steps too well with her crutches. While Heather helped Maureen keep her balance, her crutches were lifted into the shuttle. Maureen slid into the seat beside Heather, but was forced to move over with the arrival of Bridget. Bridget, like Heather, used one forearm crutch. All in all, there were four crutches propped precariously up against the shuttle wall.

"Ow, Bridget, you're squishing me!" Maureen gasped, sandwiched between Heather and Bridget.

"Well, it's not my fault that there's no space in here!" Bridget pointed out. After a fair bit of rearranging themselves, the three girls looked behind them at Tucker, who had been watching the process with amusement.

"Are we gonna get a move on?" he asked. No one heard him, the three girls were busy chatting. "Go!" he yelled. The chattering stopped and the girls laughed.

"Sorry, Tucker." Bridget apologized.

"_Go_!" he repeated. Because of the CP affecting his speech, Tucker usually didn't say much. But his meaning was clear: Stop the chatting and let's go!

"Bye!" The DS9 crew yelled simultaneously. Heather smiled and waved to her new friends. Then, they were off.

About a half hour later, something beeped on the console. Heather punched a few buttons and reported.

"I'm picking up a _Cardassian_-" she spat the word venomously. "-ship ahead of us bearing mark 129.324." As the ship loomed into view, Heather got an ominous feeling.

"I know that ship." she whispered, although she wasn't sure why she was whispering. "That's the Cardassian ship that fired on the _Ability_. _Those are the people that killed Kathleen_."

A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger! Sorry I haven't updated in months. I've been mulling over the plot for this story in the back of my mind, but I've been too busy with my Danny Phantom stories to work on it. But I think I'm back on track with this story now. I can't promise anything, but next update _should_ be soon. Oh, and sorry if I'm not good with the technical stuff. I'm a trekkie, but I don't really get into the techinalities, and the spelling and stuff. But I spelled Dr. Bashir's name right! I looked it up on should stop rambling and get a move on myself, I'm going over a friends house. Happy Holidays!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"The Cardassian ship is hailing us." Bridget reported, examining the console. All three of Heather's friends looked at her expectantly.

"Well?" Maureen prodded. "Are you going to answer it?" Heather suddenly felt nervous with all eyes on her. _This must be how Captain Sisko feels,_ she thought. She didn't want to speak to those murderers.

"I guess we'd better see what they want." she said with a resigned sigh. She hit the button to let the transmission through. The face of the Cardassian captain looked back at her on the view screen (A/N: Does a shuttle have a view screen? Not sure...but for this we'll say it has a view screen).

"Well, well, well." he said slowly. "Lt. Heather Martinez. Pleased to meet you." Heather stared back at him in wonder.

"How do you know my name?" she questioned. The Cardassian captain grinned.

"I think you'd better watch this." he said simply. Then a clip came up on the screen. It was the _Ability_, and Kathleen.

Kathleen was the main focus of the clip. In front of her was a view screen at wheelchair height, and attached to the side panel of her wheelchair was a portable com system. Behind her, the bridge crew sat, eyes on the view screen where the face of the very same Cardassian captain was on. _Maureen's sitting in the first officer's chair._ Heather noted. _My chair._ She felt a surge of longing and slight jealousy.

"Hello, there." The Cardassian captain spoke to the _Ability_'s crew. "I see you have a disabled crew. I admire you. But there is no need for _people like you_-" he emphasized the phrase "-in space exploration. I know of a large moon where _people like you_ can go. May I send you the coordinates?" Kathleen glared at the captain. She hated when disabled people were set inferior to "normal" people.

"No, you may not." she said through gritted teeth. The Cardassian's grin widened.

"Perhaps I should phrase that another way: Leave space exploration or DIE!" A torpedo shook the _Ability_ hard. Just before the clip fizzled out, Heather could see Kathleen's piercing blue eyes look to the viewscreen as if she could look _past_ it, and see the shuttle with her childhood best friends, determined to honor her memory.

"I'm sorry, Heather." Kathleen whispered. Then the clip turned to static, and the face of the Cardassian captain appeared on screen again. At this point, Heather was sobbing freely, Maureen was looking like she could cry at any moment, and Bridget looked like she was deciding whether to yell or to cry. Tucker just looked mad.

"You'll pay for this!" Heather yelled, her words barely distinguishable through her sobs. "You-you..." apparently she couldn't find words evil enough to describe the Cardassians. "...best friend murderers!" And with that, she got up and fled. Heather locked herself into the tiny bathroom that was at the back of the shuttle.

Some time later, Heather head a small knock on the bathroom door. The door opened and Maureen stood there, tears streaking her own face.

"Heath, can you please come out? The Cardassian captain wants to talk to you again." Heather sniffled.

"I don't want to talk to that murderer." Maureen gently steered her best friend out of the miniscule bathroom.

"Come on, Heath. It's best if you talk to him."

Heather plopped down in the pilot's seat and crossed her arms. She avoided looking at the cold face of the Cardassian captain.

"What do you want?" she asked hostilely. The captain paused for a moment before speaking.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to make you cry." Heather remained stonily silent. "I would like you to look at the moon I mentioned in the clip. I think you might inspire the people there." Silence, and then

"Send the coordinates." Heather said quietly. A moment later, the coordinates arrived. Bridget punched the coordinates into the computer.

"It's actually a real place." she said, the disbelief evident in her voice. "It's a large moon where people with disabilities go to be with other people like them. There, they get all the help they need. There's a large colony of people who live there. The moon is called Alasius Prime." Heather smiled, the first time she had smiled since the Cardassian ship had come into view.

"Well what are we waiting for?" she asked, looking around expectantly. "Let's go!" And so the shuttle crew went off on what seemed to be an adventure.

A/N: Ooh two updates in two days! And nobody's reviewed so far! Must you make me say it again? It only takes a second to click that purplish button. Come on, people, review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It took the shuttle crew two days to reach the coordinates that the Cardassian captain gave them. Once there, the crew could only stare in wonder.

It was, indeed, a large moon. It filled up the view screen and was almost intimidating in its bulk. Once they stepped off the shuttle, however, they were greeted with an even more wondrous sight.

The moon was very busy, people of all ages and abilities scurrying around busily. Some were severely deformed and confined to wheelchairs; others looked like they had nothing wrong with them at all.

"_Wow_." escaped from Heather's mouth as she stared at the busy surface. Her friends looked equally amazed.

"It's the community that we always thought of." added Maureen. "We'd think about an all disabled community and tried to think whether it would be good or bad. I don't think we ever decided..." Tucker wrapped it all up in two words.

"It's beautiful."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Bridget playfully, always the energetic one. "Let's explore!"

And so they did. Heather met up with several old friends, some who she hadn't seen in years. One of these friends was Nathaniel Wane, better known as Nate. He had mild CP, like Heather, and walked with a somewhat lurching gait.

"Heather?" he asked in amazement when he saw her. Heather grinned and nodded.

"Yup, that's me. What, have you forgotten what I look like over the past few years?" Nate returned the grin and shook his head.

"We've been friends since third grade. I think I know what you look like now!" He laughed.

"So, what brings you here?" Nate continued casually.

"Bridget, Moe, Tucker and I were all on a shuttle craft together when this Cardassian captain hailed us. He said we might be interested in this moon, since he saw we were all disabled. So, here we are!" Heather left out the part about Kathleen's death. It was too painful and fresh to talk about at the moment. Just then, a soft whirring sound distracted her, and a young girl sitting in a power wheelchair came up to them.

She looked about five or six years old. She was skinny for her age, her big blue eyes prominent in the thin face. Her wavy blond hair fell to about the girl's shoulders. It looked like she had moderate to severe CP. Her legs were stuck out a few inches in front of her, and her spastic hands were curled into fists. But there was something about her, something Heather couldn't place. The girl looked fake, somehow, like a plastic mannequin in a clothing store. When she spoke, the girl's voice had the usual CP stutter to it, but there was still something false about her. Heather shook the thoughts out of her head and told herself it was just her imagination.

"Hiya, Nate!" the girl said joyfully. Nate's face lit up.

"Hey, it's Brianna!" he said playfully. Brianna squealed as Nate lifted her from her wheelchair and gently tossed her into the air, catching her again.

"Brianna's lived practically her whole life on Alasius Prime." Nate said in an undertone to Heather. "Her mother was a disabled space explorer, and she didn't have the time for a baby. So, when Brianna was just a few months old, her mother left her here, promising to return for her when she was finished exploring and ready to raise a child. Bri doesn't remember her mother, but she's heard many stories about her mother from some of the people who live her and knew her mother."

"Hey, Brianna!" he said when he was finished. "This is my old friend, Heather."

"Hi, Heather!" Then Brianna's eyes grew as round as saucers as she studied Heather.

"Hey..." Brianna said slowly. "You're one of the girls that knows my mommy." Heather raised an eyebrow, but responded casually.

"Oh really? What's your last name?"

"Mararri. Brianna Mararri." Brianna's response shocked Heather so much she had to fight not to drop her jaw open.

"Was your mother named Kathleen?" Heather asked in a would-be-casual voice. Brianna nodded proudly.

"Yup! My mommy's coming back for me any day now!" Heather felt a horrible dry taste in her mouth. How in the world could she tell Brianna that her mother was dead?

A/N: This is gonna be a long story! Chapter 9 is finished and I'm only getting started. Did I surprise you? Probably not since I don't think anybody's reading this story anymore! Nobody's reviewed, and I've posted two chapters! Come on people, if your reading this, review. Even if it's just one word. Please. I'm begging you now, review!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Wow." was all Brianna could say as she stepped aboard DS9. Heather had asked Nate if she could bring Brianna back to the station with her and her friends. She thought it might be easier to break the news about her mother aboard the station. Heather's mind wandered as she thought back to her earlier conversation with Nate. She had left Brianna in the care of a trusted friend on the moon, and taken him aside.

"I didn't know Kathleen had a daughter!" she said accusingly. Nate had met Kathleen several times, and knew who she was. He held up his hands to stop her accusatory tone.

"Look. The only thing I know about her husband is that she had recently divorced him before she left Brianna with us. I don't know his name, nothing." Heather pondered this for awhile before she remembered a letter Kathleen had written to her while they were both still on Earth. Kathleen had been living in Manhattan, while Heather was living in a small town about an hour from the city. Because of their tendency to tighten up in an emergency situation, neither girl drove, and it was too expensive to take the bus too often. As a result, the girls wrote, emailed, and talked on the phone a lot.

_Dear Heather,_ Kathleen had written. _My dream has come true. I have met an able-bodied man who truly "gets it". Remember how we used to dream on the phone, thinking "What able bodied man would ever want me?"? Well, I've found the able bodied man who wants me. And I want him. We've been dating for a few months. His name is Michael. Now for the exciting part: Last night, Michael proposed! And I said yes! The wedding will be in a few months. I want you to be a bridesmaid..._

Heather smiled as she remembered how she had gotten spaghetti sauce on her pale blue bridesmaid's outfit right before the wedding, and how she had cleverly covered it up by tying her sash around her waist. Her smile faded as she remembered the letter Kathleen had sent her only a few months afterward.

_Dear Heather_, the letter had said. _I'm going to divorce Michael. I guess he doesn't "get it" as well as I thought he did. He refuses to help me, and he calls me a lazy bum! Last month, he insisted we fire the housekeeper who helps me on the toilet and getting dressed, even though I need her. He said she was getting too expensive to keep. I guess that means that if she's gotten too expensive to keep, I've gotten too expensive to keep. I only hope that I will be able to raise my newborn daughter. But then again, how can I? I need too much help, and I want to be able to do space travel. Oh, did I tell you that a government official called me? He wants **me** to be the captain of an all-disabled starship, called the **Ability**. He said if I knew anybody to be the first officer that would be great. I said I knew the perfect woman: you! We are going to have so much fun together, exploring the galaxy..._

"Actually, I did know Kat had a daughter..." Heather said slowly. "Can I bring her back to DS9? It might be easier to break the news about her mother that way."

"Sure." Nate had said seriously. Heather had filled her friends in on the situation, and here they were.

Heather shook her head to clear it of the thoughts and focused on Brianna.

"Look." she said, sensing that Brianna was eager to explore the station. "I'm leaving you with Maureen and Bridget while I go talk to Captain Sisko. You be a good girl now!"

"Oh, I'll be a _very_ good girl, Heather." the girl promised with an angelic smile. Heather grinned.

"Good." And with that, she set off for Captain Sisko's office. Along the way, her good mood slowly dissipated as she thought what the captain might say when she told him about Brianna.

The door chime sounded and Captain Sisko looked up from the mess of papers on his desk. "Come in." Heather came in.

"Ah, Lt. Martinez. Back so soon?" Heather nodded wordlessly. Sensing that Heather wanted to talk to him about something, Captain Sisko motioned to the chair in front of his desk.

"Come in. Take a seat." Heather slid into the chair, propping her crutch up beside her.

"Captain..." she began, and then the whole story poured out. Heather told him everything, including the part with Kathleen's letters. Afterwards, the captain sat back in his chair and stroked his short beard thoughtfully.

"Well I don't see why she can't stay on the station for a little while." he mused. "But she'll have to have a checkup with Dr. Bashir as soon as possible." Heather got up, her face flushed with pleasure.

"Thank you, Captain." she said gladly. Then she stepped out and tracked Maureen, Bridget, and Brianna down. They were exploring the station, but stopped when Heather came up to them.

"So what did Captain Sisko say?" Maureen asked. Heather smiled.

"He said it was fine for Bri to stay on the station for awhile, as long as she gets examined by Dr. Bashir first."

"All right!" Maureen cried, and the three friends exchanged high-fives. The conversation was then cut short by Brianna very nearly setting an extra phase pistol that was stored in the storage bay off. While her friends were busy with Brianna, Heather went back to her quarters and went to bed, vowing she'd tell Brianna about her mother in the morning.

A/N: That was a pretty long chapter. At least now I have ONE review. Thank you, marinawings. Next chapter should be up soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Brianna, I have to talk to you." Heather said tiredly the next morning. She had gotten hardly any sleep, thinking about how the next morning she would have to tell Brianna that her mother was dead.

Brianna sat propped up by several pillows, swinging her small legs over the side of the side of the bed. Her blue eyes sparkled. Her power wheelchair stood in a corner of the room, charging its battery.

"Oh, what is it, Heather?" she asked excitedly. "Is my mommy here for me? Am I going home?" Heather sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Brianna..." she started. "Your mother is...dead." she finished, looking down at the floor.

"Noooooooooooo!" Brianna let loose a piercing howl. Heather glanced up just in time to see Brianna slide purposely off the bed, landing on her hands and knees. She crawled towards her wheelchair and hoisted herself into it. This took a few minutes, and Heather watched silently, blinded by tears. Finally Brianna was settled, and Heather watched as Brianna pushed the chair's joystick hard, and sailed out of the room without a backward glance.

_Oh, good Lord,_ Heather thought. _What have I done?_

CRASH! A loud commotion emanating from the next deck up drew Heather's attention several minutes later.

"What the...?" Heather said aloud, as she pushed herself off the bed. Eager to see what the fuss was about, she ran out of her quarters, leaving her crutch behind.

Heather followed the direction of the sound until she arrived at sickbay, where a small crowd had gathered. She pushed her way through the crowd just in time to hear Dr. Bashir's voice.

"Brianna, are you okay?" Heather fought her way through the last layer of people to see Brianna, in her chair, against the Infirmary doors.

"What happened?" Heather asked in concern. Dr. Bashir looked up and glared at her.

"Brianna here crashed her chair into the Infirmary doors, disturbing my patients!" Heather moved closer and saw a large dent in the Infirmary doors.

"Brianna, are you _sure_ you're okay?" Dr. Bashir asked again. Brianna looked annoyed.

"Yes! I'm _fine_!" she said irritably, using her hands for emphasis. The people standing around did not look convinced.

"Go! Shoo! There's nothing to see here! Go!" Heather said to the crowd. The crowd slowly began to dissipate. Heather looked at Dr. Bashir.

"Doctor, I'm sorry Brianna caused a commotion." The doctor's look softened.

"All right. As long as she's here, she might as well come in for her physical." Brianna pushed on the joystick, but the chair wouldn't move.

"Small problem. I think the impact broke my chair." Heather looked at the slightly beat-up wheelchair.

"We'll have Chief O'Brien look at it later." Heather promised softly. "In the meantime..." She hoisted the girl out of the wheelchair. Luckily, Brianna was small for her age, and was still tiny enough to be semi-carried. Dr. Bashir led the way into the Infirmary.

"Heart rate, blood pressure, weight..." The doctor muttered to himself as he examined the small girl. Then a strange look came over his face. He went back and double-checked the readings. They were the same.

"Lt. Martinez, can I see you for a moment?" Dr. Bashir took her aside. He studied Heather's puzzled face for a moment before he began.

"Lieutenant, are you _sure_ that Brianna has CP?" Struck by the odd question, Heather nodded.

"Well, I don't have an official diagnosis or anything, but I'm pretty sure she has CP. As you might guess, I know a lot about the condition." The doctor nodded shortly.

"Then you know that the condition is not genetic. And it is very rare for two members of the same family to have cerebral palsy."

"What are you getting at?" Heather asked, confused. Dr. Bashir took a deep breath.

"Brianna doesn't have CP." he said.

A/N: Haha, cliffhanger! Definitely not what you expected, huh? As always, review!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"_What_!" Heather gasped. Dr. Bashir nodded slowly.

"I've checked and double-checked. It's true. _Brianna does not have cerebral palsy._" A new thought struck Heather just then.

"Then...what _does_ she have?" Dr. Bashir paused for a moment.

"Lieutenant...this may seem hard to believe, but I'm sure of my facts. Brianna has no disability at all, on the contrary. She is a perfectly healthy, strong young girl."

"But the wheelchair...and the tight muscles..." Heather stammered, unable to believe her ears. Dr. Bashir gently placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Here is my theory. A child's memory becomes complex enough to store memories when the child is about one to two years old. By that time in Brianna's life, her father was out of the picture, and she was living with a disabled mother. Now, a child wants to mimic his or her parents, right?"

"Right." Heather gasped, sinking down on a nearby biobed. She was having a lot of trouble processing this. She listened while the doctor continued.

"So Brianna's first instinct was to be like her mother. She wanted to be disabled, and in a wheelchair, like her mother, because that was all she knew. So she purposely tightened her muscles. Over time, her muscles became so tight that she couldn't walk. By the time she entered school with regular children her age, the damage had been done. Brianna had trained her own muscles to have cerebral palsy, in a sense. The power of the mind is very strong."

"Is that even _possible_?" Heather wondered.

"Apparently so. I can think of no other reason for the normal readings, yet Brianna's obvious disability."

The next thing she felt was her head and neck hitting the cool white floor as she fell off the biobed and fainted.

Heather woke to the comfort of a biobed. Dr. Bashir was a few beds over, checking over a young officer with plasma burns. He straightened up when he saw that she was awake. He came over to her bed and began scanning her with a tricorder.

"How do you feel?" he questioned. Heather shrugged.

"A bit tired, but otherwise OK." she replied. Dr. Bashir smiled.

"Good. You passed out, remember?" All of a sudden the memories came rushing back to her with a sickening feeling.

"Oh God." she groaned. "Brianna." Dr. Bashir's expression grew serious.

"Brianna is currently in the care of your friends from the _Ability_. I suggest you tell her the news as soon as possible." All of a sudden, the Infirmary doors opened and an officer staggered in, bleeding profusely.

"I have to go. You rest for a few minutes, and then you're free to go." Dr. Bashir rushed to the man's aid, leaving Heather wondering how in the world she was going to break the news to Brianna.

"You're kidding." Maureen said in amazement later that day, as Heather told her friends the whole story. Heather shook her head and groaned.

"I wish I was. God, I wish I was. I wish I could just wake up and find that this whole mess was just a horrible nightmare. That Kathleen was still alive and we were all back on the _Ability_. Oh dear God, what am I going to do?" Heather began to cry softly, letting out all her frustration and desperation that had been building up over the past few days.

"Shh, Heather, it's going to be OK. I promise." Bridget said sincerely. Heather took another long, shuddering breath and shook her head.

"No, it's not going to be OK. Kathleen's dead, and I'm stuck trying to comfort her daughter while I'm finding out that her daughter isn't really handicapped! And on top of it all, I'm falling apart! How the hell am I supposed to help Brianna when I can't even help myself!" Bridget and Maureen glanced uneasily at each other.

"Well, when you put it that way..." Bridget started. Heather managed a watery grin.

"You guys are the best." she told them. Then her face darkened as she thought of the confrontation with Brianna she had to face later.

"I guess I'll have to tell her." she said softly. Bridget put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We're telling her together." she said determinedly. Heather looked at her friends in amazement.

"Oh, guys, you don't have to do that..."

"But we _want_ to." Maureen interjected. "We. Want. To. We're not letting you go through this alone. After all, this is Kathleen's daughter."

They walked back to Heather's quarters together, where they found Brianna reading an e-book on the computer.

"Brianna?" Heather asked hesitantly. "Can we talk?" Brianna scowled and jabbed at the joystick of her chair so hard she nearly crashed into the bed.

"What?" she said sharply. Heather sighed. Her friends had told her that Brianna had been acting sullen and rude ever since the news of her mother's death.

"Bri...I've been talking with Dr. Bashir and he found some very interesting results during your physical."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" But Brianna turned to look at the three friends.

"Brianna...I might as well come out and say it. You don't have CP. In fact, you're perfectly healthy. You have no disability. You can be, well, _free_."

"So that's it?" Brianna said with an edge to her voice. "You've taken away the last thing I was sure about, the one thing I could count on, my own disability. First you tell me my mother's dead. That took away my entire fantasy system. And now you tell me that my disability is just...non existent? Some foster mothers _you_ guys are. Thanks for ruining my life. Thanks a lot!" By now Brianna was sobbing freely, not in sadness, but more in anger and confusion.

"But there's an upside!" Maureen said brightly, still trying to salvage the situation. "Now you can walk, like other people! Think of how good it'll feel to walk for the first time!" Brianna glared at Maureen, whose cheerful smile slowly vanished the longer she felt the force of the glare.

"Well, maybe I don't want to walk!" Brianna shouted through her sobs. She swung her chair and nearly crashed into the wall on her way out, blinded by her tears. The three young women stared after her as her wheelchair sped down the corridor.

"Well, that was exactly what I was dreading." Heather broke the heavy silence. There was a collected sigh as all three friends let out their breath.

"So what are we going to do now?" Heather asked wearily. No one else had any clue.

A/N: Wow, that was a really long chapter. As always, review!


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